I have .pst files that have gotten extremely large (over 5GB). Does someone know of an application to download and store the messages so as to decrease the size of the .pst files
The PC runs Win7 Pro 64bit
Outlook is 2010
Thanks
Microsoft OfficeEmail ClientsOutlook
Last Comment
John
8/22/2022 - Mon
omgang
Store them where? They're best saved in a system that allows them to be accessed easily, i.e. in Outlook. I, personally, create a second (or more) PST file and move all messages older than some date into that PST. Your user can access both PST files at the same time in Outlook so will still have access to all content.
OM Gang
Coolie Sheppard
Why don't you just archive the PST's and create a new PST. You can attach the archived PST's but new messages will go to the new PST.
I use Outlook's built in Archive facility (as suggested above). I have been doing this for many years and it keeps my main PST small (< 1GB) and therefore very fast.
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James Murphy
zalazar
If you have some unused space inside the pst you can try to compact it.
This will probably not reduce it very much but at least you can give it a try.
Within Outlook, right click on the toplevel of the mailbox and select Properties.
Click Advanced... and then click on "Compact Now".
If you created the "pst" file with default options then the pst file is already compressed.
So a compression program like 7-Zip http://www.7-zip.org/ can reduce the size only a little bit.
Biggles1
ASKER
Thanks Everyone for you responses.
I am familiar with all the solutions you suggested.
The problem is that this is a customer of mine who INSISTS on keeping HUMONGOUS amounts of Emails: she already has FOUR .pst files some of which are up to 7GB in size! and already has 3 Archive pst files. This situation is not sustainable so I am trying to download her Emails Microsoft WORD or some other application, where they would be readily accessible without cluttering up Outlook.
If anyone knows of an app or a way to do that I would appreciate a suggestion.
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I think you will find if you keep reasonable sized archives that the situation IS sustainable. You can have as many archive files as you want.
I would make the Archives smaller with something like Split PST ( http://www.splitpst.com/ ). Certainly not let them grow any more and make new Archives every year or possibly each six months.
As long as (a) the PST is modestly sized, and the same for archives, you can sustain this situation because you can have as many archive files as you want. Archives can be "open" in Outlook, so the mail is always there.
OM Gang